1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of phase changes in materials and more specifically to using phase changes in shape memory alloys and magnetorestrictive materials to dampen vibrations, cancel noise and increase heat transfer rates.
2. Background of the Invention
With the growing sophistication of technology, there have been increasing needs to protect and enhance that technology. Such needs include damping vibrations and increasing the heat transfer rate in a wide number of applications. Vibrational energy is typically a problem because of the noise and stress involved that can cause reduced performance, damage, energy loss, and the like in applications.
Conventional techniques for passive vibration damping include the use of visco-elastic materials. However, a drawback to using viscoelastic materials is their inherently poor ability to adapt to a variance in the system or application.
Consequently, there is a need for an active, i.e., more efficient and versatile, way to dampen vibrational energy. Additional needs include increasing the heat transfer rate of materials, and dynamically enlarging the available surface area without reducing the available space for the application.